Jahanara Alam's sexual harrasment allegations against Bangladesh selector explained

Former Bangladesh captain and fast bowler Jahanara Alam recently shocked the cricketing world as she made serious allegations of sexual harassment against former selector Manjurul Islam. The revelation forced Bangladesh Cricket Board to launch an investigation into the matter.

Alam is currently on a mental health break and has not played international cricket since December last year. The right-arm medium pacer has also accused a member of the board of passing proposals to her on other’s behalf.

Islam has called the allegations baseless.

Here is all you need to know about the serious allegations from Alam on the former selector Islam.

Who is Jahanara Alam

A 32-year-old medium pacer, Alam has represented Bangladesh 135 times since making her debut in November 2011. In her 14-year international career, Alam has taken 108 wickets with a T20I five-wicket haul to her name.

She had also been part of the Velocity squad in the now-defunct Women’s T20 Challenge, the precursor to the Women’s Premier League.

The pacer had been a regular in the Bangladesh side before going on a mental health break. She is currently in Australia.

What are Alam’s allegations

In a detailed interview with a YouTube channel, Alam labelled allegations of sexual harassment against the selector and manager Islam during the 2022 Cricket World Cup. She also accused Towhid Choudhary of passing on indecent proposals via a BCB employee named Sarfaraz Babu.

“I faced several times (indecent proposal) not once. Definitely, when we are involved with the team, we cannot speak out about many things, even if we want to. When it comes to your bread and better, when you are known by a few people, you cannot say or protest many things even if you want to,” Jahanara was quoted as saying in The Riasat Azim You Tube channel on Thursday.

“In 2021, Touhid Bhai approached me through Babu Bhai (Coordinator Sarfraz Babu). I have said this in various places. Why they misbehaved with me, I do not know. I tried a lot to suppress this and play cricket well. But when I technically avoided it, Manju Bhai started misbehaving, humiliating and insulting me since the next day. And I was not actually used to such humiliation.

“Babu Bhai told me to ’look after Touhid Sir.’ So I said, ‘What is there for me to look after regarding him? He is just the in-charge. What is there for me to look after regarding him? He is the highest authority, or now he is in the post after the Chairman. What is there for me to look after regarding him?’ I technically avoided it this way, pretending I didn’t understand the details of the proposal.

Alam said that after Touhid’s proposal, Islam tried to propose her. She alleged that Islam had a habit of pushing players against his chest and grabbing their shoulder. Players in the team were aware of Islam’s tendencies as per Alam. She said that during the 2022 Cricket World Cup, Islam asked her inappropriate questions.

“He came to me and took my hand, again put his hand on my shoulder, brought his mouth near my head, and said, ‘How many days is your period running today?’ He is directly asking this because he already has the information. Because normally, based on ICC guidelines, the doctor who gives us classes, the physiotherapist or doctor collects period dates from every team… And his second question was, when I said, ‘Bhaiya, five days’. He said: ‘Five days? Does anyone stay like this? Yours should have ended a day earlier.’ So I looked at him directly, staring at his face, and I said, ‘Sorry, Bhaiya, I didn’t understand.’

“He said, ‘Yours should have ended by now. Does anyone have a period for this long? And when your period is over, tell me, because I have to look after my side too, right?’ Then I looked at him, and after looking, he said, ‘What?’ ‘I am sorry, Bhaiya, I didn’t understand.’ So he said, ‘Five days, it should have ended. You have to look after my side too. If you have a period for this long… you have to look after my side too.’ So, I said, ‘Bhaiya, sorry, I didn’t understand your point.’ He said, ‘There is nothing much to understand. When your period is over, tell me. You have to look after my side too; you have to understand this,’” she said.

Alam also alleged that despite repeated complaints, Islam did not mend his ways and would behave well for a few days before again going the same way.

Islam denies wrongdoing

“What can I say apart from terming it as baseless. You can ask other cricketers whether I was good or bad,” Islam told Cricbuzz.

“It’s unfortunate she is dragging a dead man. I just want her to come up with proof instead of making baseless accusations,” said Babu in defence of Choudhary.

BCB launches probe

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has formed a committee to investigate the allegations.

“The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has noted with concern the allegations reported in the media made by a former member of the Bangladesh national women’s cricket team regarding alleged misconduct by certain individuals associated with the team,” the board said in a statement on Thursday. “As the matter is of a sensitive nature, the BCB has decided to form a committee to investigate the allegations thoroughly. The committee will submit its findings and recommendations within 15 working days.”